Improvement in safety-pins



B. J.-GR EELY; Safety-Pin.

Patented Feb, 11, 1879.

UNITEnS'rArEs PATENT. mt;

BENJAMIN J GREELY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-PINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,216, dated February11, 1879; application filed April 6, 1878 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN J. GREELY, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an ImprovedSafety-Pin, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, reference beinghad to theaccompanying drawings, makin g a part hereof.

Figure lis arear View of one of my improved safety-pins, the head-piecebeing broken away, and the pin being hooked. Fig. 2 is a front view ofFig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a side view thereof. Fig. 4 represents the blankto form the shield; Fig. 5, a section on the line as y, Fig. 1 Fig. 6, aperspective view of the legs of the pin, bent into shape and detachedfrom the shield. Fig. 7 represents a back view of the shield with thepin unhooked. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of my safety pins,showing one form of head-piece; and Fig. 9 is a modification thereof.

The safety-pin is composed, essentially, of a pin portion made fromspring-wire, bent to form the legs b 11 and a shield portion, (0 (6 61/to which is preferably added a head-piece, c, which, as shown in Figs. 8and 9, forms an illtegral part with the shield.

The blank to form the shield, shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 4,has the ear a curved to form a hook, and its car a" bent to form an eye,as shown in Fig. 5.

The wire for the pin is bent to form two legs, b b The end of I), madelonger than h is bent at 2, and then again at 3, to form a finger, b,and the end of I) is pointed. The bends 2 3 in the leg I) are made atsuch an angular di rection with relation to the bend 4 that the end ofb, bent as at 2 3, when permanently applied and afiixed to the shieldto, as shown in the drawings, will cause the pointed leg b whendisengaged from the hook formed from the ear (o to spring backward tothe rear of the shield, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. In such unhookedposition a straight horizontal line drawn to intersect each leg wouldintersect a straight horizontal line parallel with that portion of theleg b between the bends 2 3 at an angle of about forty-fivedegrees.

When the device is to be used, the leg I) is first inserted through thearticle to be held by itas, for instance, a waistband of a garment, astocking, or other portion of a garmentand then the free end of W, theleg b'being held fast by the bent portion attached to the shield, isbent or sprung from its position with relation to the leg I), as inFigs. 7 and 9, so that the end of leg I) is brought to the front of theshield, as in Figs. 1 and 8, and then the said end is permitted tospring into the concavity formed by bending the ear a This being done,and the leg b being held or caught, as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8, it willbe noticed that the pin portion, composed of legs b b when viewed at theedge of the head, shows a twisted eye between the legs I) and b, asshown in Fig. 3.

By this construction it will be obvious the safety-pin, when its leg I)is inserted through a garment and fastened as in Figsl, 2, 3, and S, byreason of the twist put into the legs of the pin below the point ofattachment of the legs with the shiel d, will permit the shield to restflat against the body of the wearer; and the garment engaged by the pinwill have no tendency to tip or turn the shield edgewise, as would bethe case if both legs of the pin when confined to the shield wereparallel, as in some safety-pins heretofore made.

For gentlemens use the shield will preferably have a hooked head-piece,c, as represented in Fig. 8; but for ladies use the headpiece, insteadof being made as ahook, will be made flat and provided with a slot, d.

The safety-pin is suspended or supported by its head-piece connectedwith a strap or otherwise.

I am aware that it is not new to swivel the leg of apin upon ahead-piece.

In this my invention, the pin and shield are so shaped and attached toeach other that the point of the pin when unfastened will be upon oneside of the shield, and when fastened will be at the opposite sidethereof.

The manner of connectingthe pin and shield may be varied withoutdeparting from my i11- vention.

I claim 1. A safety-pin composed of a shield and a spring-pin, one legof which is rigidly connected or affixed to the shield, while the freeor pointed leg is adapted, when unhooked, to rest at one side of theshield, and when hooked is sprung to occupy a position at the oppositeside of the shield, to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

-2. As an improved article of manufacture, a safety-pin composed of ashield and a headpiece, by which the pin may be supported, and aspring-pin, rigidly connected with the shield, so that when both legs ofthe pin are held by the shield the legs of the pin will occupy suchposition with relation to each other and the and for the purposedescribed.

3. In a safety-pin, a head-piece combined with a rigidly-attachedspring-pilnthe lower bent portion, 4', of which is made to assume anangular position with relation to the head piece, as described, topermit the safety-pin to support and hold a garment without twisting orturning the head-piece, as set forth.

BENJAMIN J. GREELY.

Witnesses GEORGE O. G. COALE, O. H. SLADE.

